"The fiddling traditions of Scotland and Cape Breton are subtle, complex, and powerful. To play with mastery within these traditions requires an emotional and intellectual understanding of melodic nuance and technique. To compose within these traditions requires fluency in the beauty and flexibility of these Celtic dialects. In The Gentleman and Scholar, Brandon Vance demonstrates with striking creativity the great knowledge and sensitivity involved in playing the most danceable fiddle music. I believe all listeners will encounter profound art when they listen to this recording. There is energy, grit, elegance, humor, and a fierce and brilliant sense of the most refined human musicality." -Eliot Grasso